Jalandhar, February 10
The recent action taken by the municipal corporation, Jalandhar, regarding the sealing of three commercial buildings belonging to influential persons in Model Town has put the owners of other buildings in the market area in a self-correcting mode.

The owners of not only the three buildings, but even other new buildings in the vicinity, have started taking remedial measures by constructing parking lots and ramps for the purpose.

The MC officials said the owners of the three buildings had asked for four days’ time and produced affidavits with an undertaking that they would create proper parking space and a ramp within that period. The owners have already employed labourers for the purpose and construction has begun.

The showrooms of Reebok belonging to one Mastan Singh from Ludhiana, Levi’s owned by Akali worker Sarabjit Singh and Catmoss of Parveen Kumar, linked with a top MC functionary, have been allowed to open as of now.

While Catmoss and Levi’s showrooms had basements with a front opening, there was no ramp but only a staircase leading to it. The owners are now getting ramps constructed there for parking purpose. The Reebok showroom, however, has a parking at the back but corporation officials want the facility on the front side. A “No Exit” showroom opened at the adjoining Kaypee Chowk in Sapra Complex has a vacant basement but visitors are unable to park their cars there, as the ramp is still under-construction. Since the ramp is located inconspicuously, the MC officials have even asked the owners to put up signboards indicating the direction.

The showroom also does not have a railing on one side of the boundary, putting visitors to a risk of falling off into the basement accidentally. Pritam Singh Sapra, owner, said he was away earlier, but now he was getting all works properly done.

Exactly opposite this building is another shopping complex housing a showroom of “Priknit.” The showroom has a basement where shutters are in place, perhaps for construction of more shops. Neeraj Luthra, owner, said he was planning to get a ramp constructed for basement parking. He said there was a vacant plot on the backside of the building where he had made provision for parking, but clearly, there is no signboard indicating that. As a result, all visitors park the vehicles in the middle of the road, blocking the traffic.

Manoj Arora, president, Model Town Market Association, said most of the provisions made by the building owners were an eye wash. He said this in context with another building in Parkash Nagar near Model Town, where the owner of a showroom had claimed that he had bought a plot for Rs 4 crore, to provide parking to the visitors. 

Jalandhar, February 10
The city police here claimed to have busted an inter-district gang of robbers with the arrest of five persons identified as Paramjeet Singh alias Pamma, Pawan Kumar, Sukhdev Singh, Satnam Singh, all residents of Amritsar and Shankar of Bihar. The arrests were made at the Chugitti Road after a tip-off.

Talking to mediapersons, SP (city I) S K Kalia said the police seized four pistols, live cartridges, a knife, two mobile phones and Rs 14,000 cash from the accused.

Kalia said during the preliminary interrogation the robbers confessed that they were involved in about a dozen robberies and snatching cases in different parts of Jalandhar and Amritsar in the recent past.

They also told that they used to get arms from Bihar through their co-accused Shankar.

The SP said, “A gang-member Bagga was still absconding and has a pistol for eliminating a person as the gang carried contract killing too.”

Meanwhile, the arrested persons have been remanded to two day police custody by a city court on Sunday.

Batala, February 10
Two persons were killed on the spot while several others were injured when a car in which they travelling collided with another car near Shahbad village on the Batala-Qadian road, here today.

Surinder Singh and Balbir Singh died on the spot, while eight were discharged after administering first aid.

According to an eye witness, a Qualis car on the way to Qadian to attend a wedding collided into a Maruti car bearing number - PB-18 B-6867. A case has been registered by the police. 

Jalandhar, February 10
A man Onkar Singh strangulated his middle-aged wife Charanjeet Kaur to death here in Preet Enclave locality on Saturday night as he was suspicious about her character.

Confirming this, SHO S S Rai said, “Onkar and Charanjeet had a quarrel on the Saturday night, following which the accused hit his wife on head and strangulated her to death.” However, the accused managed to flee after committing the crime. The SHO said Onkar was a driver and was a resident of Hoshiarpur district. Meanwhile, an FIR has been lodged. — TNS